Across All Worlds Book One: Earth
by thew40
Summary: [COMPLETE] King Randor and Queen Marlena have been exiled to Earth! But so has an old enemy. How will his presence be the key to returning to Eternia? Please R&R!
1. Prelude

Author's Note:

99 percent of the characters presented in this story are the property of Mattel and Filmation and do not belong to me in anyway. This is a Fanfiction, written solely for the entertainment of its readers and myself. I make zero cash off of this.

This is a continued re-write of the original "The Final Adventure." It is the beginning of much longer fanfic that will now be in tune with the fanfics written since then. It is therefore in the same continuity as "Preludes and Beginnings," "He-Man: Year One," "The Day That Nothing Happened," "The Elfsong of Eternia," "The Crossroads of Destiny," "Prophecy & Change," "Just Another Day," "Liberty and Valor," "Manifest Destiny," "Roots," "Deus Ex Machina," "My Blue Reflection," and "The Last Battle."

It continues the "Final Adventure" storyline that began in "Return to Eternia," and continued into "A Winter's Heart," and "The Shroud of the Horde." Both fics were edited slightly to reflect changes in the continuity. It is important to have read these three stories first. But if you didn't, here is what happened last time.

* * *

Previously . . .

Five years ago, He-Man/Adam left Eternia to fight in war in the far-off Tri-Solar System. After sending his enemy Skeletor into exile and helping to bring peace between Primus and Denebria, He-Man/Adam returned to Eternia. What he had found upon his return was a shock. Hordak had claimed a fourth sword of Grayskull, the Sword of Deception. Using the Sword of Deception, Hordak had been able to cast Etheria a tar-like darkness, putting the populace of the world into suspended animation until the day he would be able to absorb their life forces. In the meantime, Hordak launched a successful campaign against Eternia. Eternos, with many of its allies inexplicably missing, fell to the power of the Horde. Most of the Heroic Warriors were taken captive and Randor and Marlena themselves fled to the unreachable world of Earth for safety.

When He-Man/Adam returned to his homeworld, he met with the only Heroic Warriors not in captivity – the Sorceress, Gwildor, Clamp Champ, Stratos, Mekaneck, and Teela, whom had had a child with another man. In short order, they reached the Crystal Castle and with the help of Adora, Mermista, Glimmer, Bow, Castaspella, and Flutterina, freed the rest of the Heroic Warriors. With all of these allies, He-Man and She-Ra led the final battle against Hordak. Hordak was defeated, the Sword of Deception returned to Grayskull, and the Horde Troopers teleported off the planet. The only Hordesmen not accounted for was the de-powered Shadow Weaver. Victory came at a price, however, as the true identities of She-Ra and He-Man were revealed.

Over the course of rebuilding the kingdom of Eternos, Adam and Teela's feelings for each came out. They quickly decided it was time to have a relationship. Afterwards, they met with various allies and friendly kingdoms on a mission of peace. When they returned to Eternos, the kingdom was restored.

The time of joy and peace did not last long, unfortunately. In an effort to maintain peace, He-Man met with Evil-Lynn of Snake Mountain. She told him that King Hiss and his Snake-Men had ventured into tunnels deep beneath the surface shortly after Hordak's downfall. Despite being warned that a terrible secret lies under the ground by the Sorceress, He-Man and a small team went anyways.

It was beneath the surface that Adam was told the true nature of Eternia. Thousands of years ago, to appease the gods of ancient Eternia (Preternia) and in an effort to determine what course they would change the universe to follow, the Cosmic Enforcers brought Earthlings to Eternia. Over the following millennia, the Cosmic Enforcers manipulated the Eternians into prolonging a war between good and evil. Shaken by this truth, Adam began to question everything.

After besting King Hiss and his monster, Pythor, Adam argued harshly with the Sorceress over just how much he really trusted her. With their relationship splintered, Adam still decided to keep what he learned a secret from all others. Meanwhile, Skeletor appeared on Eternia and recruited Shadow Weaver for a mission.

This mission would be delayed, though, by the arrival of Hydron and Flipshot from Primus. They revealed to Eternos that shortly after He-Man left the Tri-Solar System, Horde agents attempted to wage war against them. Luckily, the new peace allowed a swift victory. The combined forces of Primus and Denebria then learned that as the Horde Empire falls apart due to civil wars, Horde Prime was seeking the ultimate weapon: a spell that could destroy entire worlds. This spell was locked in the mind of Hordak, who himself was a prison of Eternos. With the help of a dozen worlds, Eternia fought off what was left of the Horde's vast armies. In midst of battle, Adam and Teela's love was endangered due to Adam's loss of faith in himself and the arrival of an old lover. But in the end, both were emboldened by each other and their relationship grew stronger.

With the Horde defeated completely, King Hiss and Hordak prisoner, a calm has come over Eternia. Despite the secrets he learned and his parents still missing, Adam looks to the future as best he can . . .

* * *

Prelude

Present Day.

The door opened slowly. She entered like a ghost, cold and quiet. She moved quickly, seeking out exactly what she had been asked – told – to retrieve. Her eyes scanned the lab. Her was mission half-complete by making it into Eternos without detection. It helped that besides Orko, the major mystic-sensitives (Glimmer, Castaspella, and even Mermista), there were no others present. No others to detect her arrival or departure.

Shadow Weaver, former agent of the Horde, slinked into Man-At-Arms' workshop. Her assignment was quite simple – to steal a specific piece of technology. It had been delayed by the ordeal with Horde Prime last month, but now that things had clamed down, she went on the mission.

As she moved across the workshop, her new robes silently flowed around her. Black and violet had replaced crimson. She was done with the Horde.

After only a few minutes of slinking, she found what she was looking for. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, simply a massive engine. It was one of about three dozen Man-At-Arms had, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he even notice it was missing for a while.

Her hands moved quickly, a spell being cast. The engine vanished in a burst of purple energy, teleported back to Viper Tower. Shadow Weaver, her job complete, slid away, moving ever-so-creepily back to the door.

* * *

Some time later, Shadow Weaver returned to Viper Tower. Skeletor stood before the engine, looking it over. "Well done, Weaver," Skeletor complimented her. "No trouble?"

"None at all," she replied. She was still fairly uncertain in terms of this alliance with Skeletor, but thus far, he had not turned on her yet. Considering the disaster that spawned from their previous cooperation, this one was going quite well.

"Will it work?" she then asked, looking between the engine and the ship that Skeletor had flown to Eternia. He had indeed been the one that attacked the Starship Eternia in orbit all those months ago.

Skeletor shrugged a little, then turned to an open doorway.

"I don't know," he replied. "Will it?"

From the doorway came Tri-Klops. His eye in use scanned the engine, getting a complete reading of its workings. After a few moments, he nodded. "It should."

"Excellent!" Skeletor exclaimed. "Get to work, Tri-Klops. I have plans to prepare for, especially if what I learned about Earth is correct . . ."

Tri-Klops said nothing in return and simply examined the machines before him. The doors shut, leaving Tri-Klops and Shadow Weaver very much alone.

"Does Evil-Lynn know he has returned?"

"No," he answered. "Nor does she know I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" asked Weaver.

"I was about to ask you the same question," he responded. "However, I do believe I know the answer already."

"Oh? What is that?"

Tri-Klops began to gather chains and hooked them to the engine. "Skeletor gives as much as he punishes. If you cross him, you will pay. But serve him, do his bidding, you will be rewarded. Trap-Jaw, Evil-Lynn, Beast-Man, Mer-Man, myself . . . we're all example of that. He gave me my amazing vision. He saved Trap-Jaw's life. He spared Beast-Man death at the hands of wild animals. For Mer-Man, it's sovereignty over the Mer-People."

"And what about Evil-Lynn?"

"Evil-Lynn?" Tri-Klops paused. "He gave her power and passion. But she has crossed him too many times. I'd be surprised if Skeletor lets her live after he reveals his presence here on Eternia to her. That is all besides the point, though. Power, is it, for you?"  
"Yes," Shadow Weaver said quietly.

"Heed my warnings, then, Weaver. Betray Skeletor and he will punish you as much as he has rewarded you."

Shadow Weaver didn't answer, but simply took the words to her black heart.


	2. Earthbound

Chapter One: "Earthbound"

* * *

Five Years Ago

King Randor stood upon the balcony and looked out across the horizon. In the darkening evening, small bursts of light flashed with thunderclaps. He gripped the railing and looked to Man-At-Arms. He and Duncan had made it through one of Hordak's attacks on Eternos. The questioned remained whether or not they would make it through the second.

After the Great Towers fell and the Horde began to cut a swath of destruction across the kingdom, Randor's worries grew. Teela, Man-E-Faces, Clamp Champ, Mekaneck, and Stratos were all out in the northern kingdom with thirty soldiers, rooting out some scouts and trying to make for Castle Grayskull. Already, Buzz-Off, Orko, Rokkon, Stonedar, Extendar, Snout Spout, and Rio-Blast had all been captured at the Great Towers – along with Cringer. The thought that Adam's beloved pet was now a prisoner – and possibly victim – of the Horde was particularly bitter.

The thought that neither his son nor daughter was here by his side nor that He-Man and She-Ra were no longer reachable was more than a little disenchanting.

The burst of lights grew more frequent. Sounds like thunder echoed across the land. Man-At-Arms sighed.

"That was probably the last of our first wave," grunted Duncan.

Randor nodded. "I'm more than certain they've broke through the final lines of defense. How did this happen?"

Duncan shrugged. "I don't think its worth worrying about that now. Those willing to be evacuated from the city are now in the southlands with Lubic's escorts. The remaining Heroic Warriors are at your command and the mightiest army on Eternia is prepared to fight until the end."

There was a sudden loud explosion from just beyond their field of vision. Randor could already see Royal Soldiers falling back to the city.

"Second mightiest," Randor answered, voice weak. Even his father had vanished during an attempt to find out what was happening to Etheria. "Any chance of getting word to He-Man?"

"None. Our comm-lines are being blocked."

There was another explosion – this one further away. Randor looked down and watched as the first wave of Royal Soldiers reentered the city. He then looked up and saw massive army of Horde Troopers marching towards them. Leading the charge was Hordak atop his Mantisaur. The Horde Elite flanked him on both sides.

"Open comm-lines to all soldiers."

Duncan complied.

"This is King Randor," he addressed them. "The Horde stands before us once more. Thus, we must stand against it. Long ago, Hordak brought war to this city. We defeated him then. We shall defeat him again!. Hordak failed in destroying the kingdom. We re-took my daughter from him. We helped shatter his grasp on Etheria. So shall we now stop him once more! Stand tall, my soldiers! Arm weapons! Hold your ground! Hold Eternos!"

One look to Duncan told him to cut the comm-lines.

Man-At-Arms pulled on his helmet. King Randor lifted up the Honor Sword.

"A good speech," Marlena said then from behind.

"We are strong, Marlena," Randor replied.

"Strong enough for Hordak?" questioned the queen.

"I hope so," Randor grunted.

"Randor, they're in weapons range," Duncan reported.

"Fire the first round."

Laser fire filled the evening air. It was a cold day, chilly even for this time of year. Randor could see his breath. The Horde Troopers in field below took the shots, exploding, rupturing, and falling. The Horde Troopers very quickly returned fire. Lasers criss-crossed the cold evening sky, some striking their targets, other missing completely.

However, an hour after combat began, it soon became apparent to Randor and his allies that they were winning. Nearly a quarter of the Horde Troopers had been reduced to so much slag.

"What do you think they're thinking right now, Weaver?" asked Hordak, smiling, his fangs revealed in the growing moonlight.

"They're probably thinking that we are ready to be put on the run, oh mighty one."

"How wrong they are."

Hordak lifted up the Sword of Deception. Unlike the Swords of Power and Protection, it did have much in the way of transformational powers. Just like it's brother, the Sword of Darkness, the Sword of Deception was more an energy weapon. It peered through all the lies and deceptions of its wielder and measured the evil and darkness within that person . . . and used it as a weapon of either destruction or deceit.

Today, it would be used as both.

The Sword of Deception began to glow brightly.

Randor, Marlena, and Duncan all stood in shock as 2,000 more Horde Troopers appeared out of thin air, hidden by the power of the Sword of Deception.

"Ancients . . ." whispered Duncan.

Hordak then pointed the Sword of Deception at Eternos itself. There was a sudden silence as power and energy gathered around the blade. And then . . . a massive lightning bolt was thrown loose from its tip. It fired out, striking Eternos. The gates were suddenly smashed open.

The lightning bolt seemed to gain a life of its own. It slammed into buildings and towers. Fires broke out immediately. Explosions roared as the lightning finally began to cease its journey by striking a series of homes and businesses.

Horde Troopers began to enter the city immediately, mowing down any and all opposition.

"HEROIC WARRIORS!" shouted Sy-Klone, rushing to the front lines of battle.

Ram-Man, Fisto, Moss Man, Sy-Klone, Rotar, and Pelicor came rushing forward, all that was left and present of the once mighty fighting force. Facing them down was Catra, Dylamug, Entrapa, Grizzlor, Leech, Mantenna, Modulok, Multi-Bot, Octavia, Scorpia, and Vultak.

A harsh and powerful wind flared up, blowing away nearby Horde Troopers. Rotar and Sy-Klone then ran forward. Sy-Klone punched Mantenna clean out before the Hordesmen could get a shot off. He was about to spin again and unleash another gale force wind . . . when he felt a beam of energy cut through part of his armor. Three Horde Troopers – in concert with Dylamug – created a small opening in his armor. Wincing, Sy-Klone blew them all away. But in doing so, he missed Scorpia. Her toxin-laden tail dug right into the wound. Sy-Klone was on the ground in seconds, the toxin just enough to take him out of the game without killing him.

Between the whips of Entrapa and the tentacles of Octavia, Rotar was caught shortly after.

Meanwhile, Grizzlor was making straight for Moss Man. Moss Man, thinking one step ahead, contacted the seeds in the ground. They gave themselves to his cause and within mere seconds and just a few feet of Moss Man, the fiercest of the Hordesmen was tangled in thick vines.

"Sloppy," came a voice from behind. Moss Man recognized it too late – Leech. He suddenly felt all the energy in his body leave him. His fresh green 'skin' started to turn and ugly brown as he crashed to stone ground.

Fisto was having a hard time with Modulock and Multi-Bot, because they kept moving around each time he'd try and take a hit. It was only a matter of time before they overwhelmed the older warrior and he was done for.

In short order, Pelicor was plucked from the sky by Vultak. Once on the ground, Catra issued the final blow that defeated Pelicor.

Ram-Man was the last Heroic Warrior to fall that day. He fought hard, slamming into as many Horde Troopers as he could. He tried hard to rescue his friends and teammates as they were dragged away, but the Horde Elite were too many and too strong.

The Heroic Warriors - save for those few that were with Teela in the northern kingdom – fell to an enemy they were simply not ready for. Though they had faced the Hordesmen in battle before, it was only by the side of the Great Rebellion. And never with their numbers so small and the stakes so very high.

"The Heroic Warriors have been dealt with," Catra reported to Hordak once the ruthless leader himself entered the city. "The Royal Soldiers continue to resist."

"Destroy the city," Hordak simply commanded.

"As you wish."

As Catra began shouting orders that would bring about a great decimation to the once mighty city, Hordak laid his red eyes on his personal target: the Palace itself. With the Sword of Deception in hand, he summoned all of his and its power and unleashed another blast of power.

A new lightning roared from the Sword of Deception. It slammed into the Palace, right at its center, where the entrance was.

On the balcony, Randor grabbed hold of Marlena. Man-At-Arms threw his body on top of both of them. The Palace rocked. Lights went out. A massive explosion shook the walls and the ground. What they could not see was that Palace itself now had a huge, smoking gapping hole in it.

Man-At-Arms picked himself up, followed by Marlena and Randor. Gwildor appeared at the door, covered in dust.

"The Palace!" he exclaimed.

More explosions, though smaller, were suddenly heard.

"Horde Troopers have entered the Palace!" came a voice over the comm-link.

"Affirmative," Man-At-Arms replied. He turned to Randor and Marlena, his most oldest and dearest of friends. "We need to get you to safety."

"No!" Randor replied, hand on his Honor Sword, though it was still sheathed. "We must fight the enemy! Hordak will not claim this day!"

There was suddenly another explosion, this was very close. The ceiling crumbled. Duncan threw Gwildor to the ground and put his body on top of his. Randor did the same thing with Marlena. Half the ceiling crashed onto them.

"Gwildor, are you all right?" asked Man-At-Arms, sitting up, shoving the debris off of him.

"Fine, fine!" coughed Gwildor.

"Randor!" cried out Marlena.

Duncan looked and saw the queen trying to pull her husband up. There was a nasty wound on his head, blood streaking down his face. He quickly gave him the once over, then turned to Marlena.

"He has a concussion. We need to get you out of here."

Man-At-Arms handed both Marlena and Gwildor lasers. Then, knees cracking and back aching, he swung Randor of his shoulder. The trio then made as fast they could for Duncan workshop. They managed to avoid all but three Horde Troopers on their way down there, but made there safe in under ten minutes. Man-At-Arms sealed all doors.

"What now?" asked Gwildor.

"Access the security sensors," Duncan commanded. "Find out where our people are."

Gwildor went to work at a nearby computer. Duncan laid down Randor and looked him over again. He started to assess the wound again.

"Duncan . . ." began Marlena. "What are the odds?"

Duncan stood up and looked to the read-outs Gwildor brought up. He grunted and shook his head. "Not good. Terrible, actually. We're losing soldiers by the minute."

"And if we surrender?"

Duncan sighed. "It . . . that is . . ." He paused. "It would give the soldiers a better chance at survival. No guarantees in regards to anything, but they're better alive in a Horde prison then dying in a losing battle. Right?"

"Yes," she answered and then dapped the bloody brow of her husband. "Bring me a communicator. I'm going to negotiate with Hordak the terms of our surrender."

Duncan reached for one . . . then stopped.

"No ma'am."

"Excuse me?"

"Gwildor, set the coordinates on the Cosmic Key for Earth."

"Duncan!?" exclaimed Marlena. "What are you doing?"

Duncan kneeled down beside her. "I have a responsibility to the safety of both you and Randor. You're my friends and practically my brother and sister. I can not allow you and Randor to be taken prisoner. It is against all that my title stands for. On Earth, you will have a chance to survive. With the people we know there and the fact that it's your homeworld, you can remain out of Hordak's reach until He-Man and She-Ra come back."

"What about you?"

"Someone will have to negotiate the surrender."

"Duncan, Randor . . . he won't . . ."

"He won't like it." There was another explosion. The workshop shook violently. "But he'll have to deal with it." Duncan then put his hand on Marlena's shoulder. "Listen. The people will have no hope if they learn you and Randor are their prisoners. With you gone, they will have hope that you and your children will be back to save us all. And you will be."

Marlena nodded slowly. "Do it."

"Done!" Gwildor yelped and pressed the activation key.

The portal opened, the chimes ringing out. Duncan helped Randor up and helped Marlena get a good grip on him.

"We'll be back, Duncan," Marlena promised.

"I know."

Holding onto her unconscious husband, Queen Marlena entered the portal . . . home.

The portal closed right afterwards. Duncan turned to Gwildor. "Open a portal out of here, then find Teela and order her to stay away from Eternos. Make sure she stays safe, all right?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Go."

Gwildor punched in a few coordinates on the Cosmic Key. A portal swirled open.

"Good luck, Gwildor."

"To you, the same, Man-At-Arms," Gwildor replied. "Good journey." The portal closed up and as Duncan gazed one final time at Gwildor, he wondered if he would ever see him again.

But he didn't have time for musing. The security sensors – as tricky as they were right now with all the damages – indicated Hordak himself was leading a battalion in here.

Man-At-Arms grabbed hold of a holographic projector.

"He-Man! If you are seeing this message, then it means you've returned to Eternia. As you have probably already guessed, Eternos has been attacked. I'm not sure if you know by who yet, but it was the Horde. The details are sketchy, but we know that at some point about three months after you left for Primus, Etheria went dark. We have since been unable to reach them. After that, Hordak came to Eternia and built up an army of Horde Troopers. The Great Towers have fallen and so has Eternos.

"Your parents have been transported to Earth by the Cosmic Key. Eternos itself has been invaded by the Horde. The Heroic Warriors have all but fallen. I can only assume that if you're seeing this message, then nothing has changed. Know that you are the only capable of saving Eternia. We need you now more than ever." Man-At-Arms then paused and looked back. The door shook loudly with the sounds of weapons. He then turned back to the projector. "They are here!"

He switched off the projector, wrote a note saying 'Read Me!' on it, and tossed it in his most secure, hidden safe. The door then exploded. Man-At-Arms dodged weapons fire, but was slammed against the wall by one very feral Catra.

"Hello Man-At-Arms!"

"Where is King Randor and Queen Marlena?" asked Hordak.

"Gone. I sent them to another world."

Hordak looked to the Sword of Deception and then over to Man-At-Arms again. "You are speaking the truth."

"I am." He then coughed a little. "I have been authorized to negotiate the terms of . . . our surrender."


	3. The Old Planet

Chapter Two: "This Old Planet"

* * *

The first thing Marlena did when she and Randor came crashing down onto the planet Earth was to head for cover. Gwildor had had the good sense to open the portal to Earth exactly where the first one had been opened for him, He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela years ago. What Gwildor did not know was that area of wooded area was in the process of being turned into an allotment. Half-constructed houses were sitting all around her.

The wind was rather cold, so Marlena dragged her unconscious husband into one of the half finished houses. After making sure he was safe, she stepped out of the house and looked for the nearest pay-phone. It didn't take long to find one.

It was only when she came to it that she realized that she didn't have any quarters. In fact, who would she call? She didn't have anyone's phone numbers.

"Oh, this is so strange," Marlena said then, looking around at her surroundings. An intensely surreal feeling overcame here. Despite the circumstances, she smiled. She was back home. Home. Earth. She could have said all of her time on Eternia was nothing more than a dream save but the crown on her head.

She looked around, trying her best to remember the details of her son's trip here the last time. Marlena quickly spotted the Kentucky Fried Chicken that Duncan, Teela, and Gwildor had stolen food from – they were calling it KFC now?

It was only a bit down the road. Marlena walked as fast she could. Cars passed her by. Cars! By the Ancients, automobiles! The smell of exhaust took Marlena back to a different time. Her sister – if she was even still alive – was out there, somewhere. She passed a couple who were wearing jeans and sweaters. The words on the sweater was in English. She never thought she'd see that again.

At long last, Marlena arrived at the KFC. Rock music was playing. The smell of fast food filled her nostrils for the first time since two days before her launch into space. A few people gave her looks. She suddenly remembered that the sight of seeing someone in a dress and with a crown like this was quite a shock. How could she forget?

She waited impatiently in line. When she finally got to the counter, she looked the pimple-faced young man behind the register in the eyes.

"Hello! How may I take your order?"

"I'm looking for . . . uh . . . Julia? Julie, maybe?"

"I'm Julie," said a woman from behind the cashier. Julie turned around and looked at Marlena with shock.

"My name is Marlena. I . . . I'm from Eternia. You helped my son and my friends. I need your help once more."

Julie promptly dropped the bucket of chicken in her hands.

Within minutes, Marlena was sitting in the passenger seat of Julie's jeep. She watched as Julie operated the controls. Memories stirred within Marlena. She could drive if she needed to. Julie pulled out a small device – a phone? – and opened it up.

"Call Kevin."

"I don't know how - " Marlena began.

"No, I'm calling him."

"Oh. Uh, right here, dear."

They quickly arrived at the half-constructed house where they had left Randor. The two of them jumped out and ran in. Randor was still lying there.

"He took a nasty blow to the head," Marlena explained.

"Let me see." Julie sighed. "We need to get him to a hospital."

"No."

"I know you don't have insurance, but you can probably just skip out on the bill," Julie replied.

Marlena shook her head. "There are differences in Eternian bodies. They will notice. I can not have that."

Julie paused in thought. "There's a free clinic not far from here. We can take him there."

"They will treat the concussion and that's all?"

"I think so."

At that moment, another car pulled up. Both Marlena and Julie gasped, but Kevin soon appeared.

"Is it true?" asked Kevin upon his entrance.

"Yes," Marlena answered. "I am Queen Marlena. He-Man is my son."

"Kevin, help me load Randall into the jeep. We're taking him to the free clinic."

"Randor, Julie. His name is Randor."

Julie nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. But, please, let us make haste."

The three of them safely put Randor in the backseat of Julie's jeep. Marlena laid his head upon her lap. For a moment, he seemed to regain consciousness.

"Marlena . . . what is happening?" he groaned.

"Shhhh, rest, my darling."

Marlena pulled off their crowns and took away the Honor Sword. She never thought she'd be putting such highly respected and nearly sacred items on the floor of a Jeep, but here she was, doing so.

"Where – where are we?" he asked quietly, fading in and out on her.

"We're on Earth."

"Earth?"

"Yes, dear. You have a concussion. We're going to see a doctor. You need to remain quiet, okay?"

He nodded a little, then closed his eyes.

Soon enough, Kevin, Julie, and Marlena were sitting in a small alcove, separated by a sheet from the rest of the clinic. Randor sat on a bed, looking dazed and confused. A female doctor appeared, young and with blonde hair.

"Good evening, my name is Doctor Reid. Is this our concussion patient?"

Randor grunted and nodded.

"What's your name sir?"

"Randor, son of Miro," Randor answered.

"What's that?" asked Doctor Reid.

"It's Randall Sonomiro," Marlena covered for her husband.

"Sorry," Randor apologized. "My head is killing me."

"Are you feeling nauseous?"

Randor looked to his wife. "Does that mean, er, dizzy?"

"Ah, yes, and wanting to throw up."

"Then yes on both accounts, fair healer."

"Uh . . . okay," Doctor Reid responded, marking something down on the chart. "Well, I would rather take an X-Ray, but it's pretty obvious to me that you have a concussion. It doesn't seem to be too bad, however, so the best treatment is plenty of rest and some Advil nor Motrin."

"Of course, my lady," Randor said. "The kingdom of Eternos thanks you for helping its king."

"Oh Ancients," Marlena said then, shaking her head. "He's joking, Doctor. Thank you."

Just a few minutes later, Randor and Marlena were back at Julie's apartment. She had set up the fold-out bed from the couch. Kevin was out picking up the medication for Randor while Julie showered. Randor and Marlena were both sitting on the foldout bed, talking quietly.

"As soon as I recover, we are returning to Eternia," Randor insisted.

"Randor, we can not," Marlena replied. "We don't have any way to get back."

The king of Eternos groaned and laid his head in hands. "Damnation, Duncan. Why did you do this?"

"Randor!"

"This was a cowards move, Marlena! Perhaps Gwildor will have the sense to open a portal and bring us back!"

"He will not, Randor. Not until Adam and Adora get back."

"And He-Man and She-Ra," Randor returned.

"Uh, yes." She bit her tongue. She was going to have to spill that secret, but not for a while. "Until then, we must make do here on Earth. We have communicators. We have our crowns and the Honor Sword."

"What about the portal that brought you to Eternia?"

"The wormhole, you mean?"

"Yes, yes, the whatever."

"Based on the conversations I had with Colonel Blaze and Major Steele a few years ago (you remember them?), they hadn't discovered the wormhole yet. Besides, even if they did, it would be impossible to get to. Space travel is still limited to astronauts, from what they told me."

"But what about you?" asked Randor. "Couldn't you go back to that, er, Nazahh place? They will embrace your return as a hero of true might!"

"Randor . . . things don't quite work like that here. They'll separate us. And with you not being human, it just . . . makes things difficult."

"I don't understand."

"Humanity doesn't trust what it doesn't know. And it doesn't know you. And it doesn't know where I've been."

Randor sighed and went quiet. "Then, we must go into hiding until we are rescued," he said after a fashion.

"Yes."

"And just what will that entail, my alien wife?"

Marlena smiled. "Ah, you're the alien here."

"Mmm."

"But that will entail us getting jobs and a place to live. Which means fake ids."

"Deceit and deception?"

"Unfortunately, my love."

Randor sighed. "All right," he grunted. "Then we will get these fake ids. Why do they track you people so much? But yes, fake ids – whatever those are. Then . . . work. We shall wait, then. Wait for Eternia to call us back to battle."

"Exactly, my sweetheart."

Randor ran his rough hand across Marlena's cheek. "In the meantime, my dear, welcome home."

* * *

Two Months before Present Day

"Mr. President?"

The President of the United States of America looked up from his papers and saw his space advisor – Admiral Blaze – standing at the door of the Oval Office. The President grinned and walked around his desk. Blaze and the President shook hands and both sat down.

"Mark, how are you?"

"I'm well, sir. And yourself?"

"Splendid, though I'm fairly certain you're not here to talk about my health."

"No, Mr. President."

Admiral Blaze pulled out his laptop and sat it down on the table between them. "As you are aware, last year, after we rediscovered the wormhole, we set a few satellites to probe it before we could enter. There was a fair amount of electro-magnetic surge that prevented the operation of most satellites, but we've recently gained video from the other side."

The President's eyebrows perked up. "Really?"

"Yes sir. It . . . it is not what I was expecting . . ."

The laptop, open now, showed a video for the President. He saw a world that they had only been able to glean so far. In orbit around this world, he saw scores of starships, locked in a pitched and heated battle. Explosions in space. The President sat in shock as he took it all in.

After five minutes, the video ended.

"Wow."

"Yes sir. My reaction as well."

The President ran his hands over his face. "I'd like to continue to review the video, but I'd have to say that it looks like a very, very aggressive world we're seeing here."

"Ah, it looks like it sir, but I'd rather not jump to conclusions."

"Of course, of course. Tell you what, Mark? Why don't you make arrangements for a meeting tomorrow morning? I think we need to get the NSA, NASA, and you and me in a room and figure this all out."

"Yes, sir, Mr. President."

The President went around the desk and smiled. "Looks like we may just make contact with another planet, Admiral Blaze."

Blaze smiled as well. "Yes sir, President Marzo."


	4. The King of Bagboys

Chapter Three: "King of Bagboys"

* * *

Present Day.

Randor, former king of Eternos, warrior of old, famed leader, father of He-Man and She-Ra, survivor, conqueror of great evils and one of the universes most powerful figures stood in the bathroom and readjusted his tie.

Then, after fixing that, he straightened his sleeves and stepped up to the counter and let lose his booming, commanding voice.

"Paper or plastic, ma'am?"

The woman, looking a bit startled, answered reluctantly. "Um . . . plastic."

Randor groaned inwardly. Back on Eternia, he had commanded legions of armies and even arm-wrestled He-Man himself - and won! But here, on Earth, he was reduced to . . . mere grocery store bag-boy with a small plastic name-tag that said: "MY NAME IS: 'RANDOR' - HOW MAY I HELP YOU?"

A nametag! The man should have had a crown made of the greatest golds and silvers. Instead, it's plastic coated onto paper! He muttered a curse word under his breath as he loaded the groceries into the shopping cart.

"Have a good day, ma'am," he boomed once again.

"Randor . . ."

He turned around and was faced by a tan, mustached man with dark-going-gray-going-bald hair. "Yes, John?"

The manager scoffed at the tone of his voice. "Randor, I don't appreciate that tone."

"I'm sorry sir."

"Randor, don't talk to the customers so gruffly."

"I'm sorry sir."

"Now don't make that mistake again. This is the third time this week that I've had to remind you."

"I know, sir, it's just . . ."

"And I see you didn't shave this morning."

"I'm sorry sir. I just didn't get the chance to. I was busy and - "

"Busy? Busy doing what?"

"I was just busy, sir."

"Right. Well, I'm gonna let you get away with it this time. But I want you to head back to the Frozen department and restock all that ice cream."

"But I just stocked it!"

"I read the lay-out wrong. We need it restocked."

Randor was growing impatient. "John, it is colder than a witch's nipple back there!"

John's eyes bulged. "Randor, you DO NOT talk that way in front of customers."

"I'm sorry."

"Now just get back to Frozen and talk to Danny. He'll tell you what to do."

"Right, right."

As Randor walked back towards the Frozen foods, he passed another bag-boy. "Hey, Randy, did you catch the game last night?"

"No. I was busy with Marlena."

"Ohhhhhh," the other bag-boy said. "Randy got some last night!"

"No. We were searching the Internet, Aaron. And the name is Randor, not Randy!"

"Right, right. Whatever."

Randor headed back to Frozen, rubbing his scrub. Oh, how he wished he still possessed his beard. But it had to be shaven for the sake of his job - Acme Fresh Market. Curse this store. Curse it to the very depths of Snake Mountain.

The former king couldn't believe the way this planet treated its people. There were people older than he was working this incessant job and they were war vets!

But this was only the tip of the iceberg, really. Somehow, Count Marzo had sleazed his way to become President of the United States. And despite knowing just how vile this man was, there was nothing Randor could do about it. Absolutely nothing.

Then there was more. Last year, after years of searching, NASA had finally found the wormhole that had taken Marlena to Eternia in the first place. Mark Blaze was the space advisor to Marzo and yet none of them (not even Andrea Steele) had revealed their knowledge of Eternia. Randor and Marlena seemed to endlessly debate about whether or not to come forward about it. They still, nearly eight months later, have yet to arrive at a decision. Randor was growing upset with Marlena over the situation, too. Hordak could have killed everyone in the entire kingdom by now.

Randor grunted.

After a few more hours of work, Randor headed home. This had been his fourth job since arriving on Earth. Not long after getting settled and reuniting with Marlena's sister Kristina, they were able to reach Alicia and Miguel, the children that had been involved in the famed 'Christmas Incident.' As luck were to have it, Miguel was a bit of a computer hacker. He helped Randor and Marlena establish their own identities on Earth.

Randor started his walk home. He didn't mind not being able to drive.

While Randor hated just about all of their time on Earth, Marlena was enjoying being back on her homeworld. Her reunion with Kristina brought a joy to her that Randor had only seen when she had been reunited with Adora.

Randor arrived home, which was an apartment above the garage. It was nice, but far from the Palace. All one room – kitchen, bedroom, living room. Marlena was sitting in front of the computer, typing away.

"Hello wife," Randor greeted.

"Hey," she replied and turned to him. "I put a pizza in the oven."

"Excellent."

He sat down on the bed, then fell back completely onto it. He missed his beard. He missed his people. He missed his _bed._

"Marzo is about to make a statement," Marlena said then, looking at a new website.

"Oh?" Randor asked, sitting up. "Any guesses as to what it's about?"

"None."

"Hrm."

Randor turned on the TV and retrieved a beer. Marlena sat down next to him. President Marzo appeared on the screen.

"My fellow Americans, I come to you with a controversial yet important subject. As many of you know, we have recently rediscovered the wormhole that some years ago Colonel Blaze and Major Steele ran afoul of during their heroic mission to save the planet. This wormhole has been a hotbed of scientific study, specifically where it leads. For some time now, electro-magnetic surges have prevented probes from seeing the other end. But now, with breakthrough technologies, we have been able to view the other side of the wormhole and have found, indeed, another planet."

Marlena's eyes went wide. She grasped Randor's arm. His face was slack. So close, yet so far away.

"More than just another planet. A planet full of – what we can determine – is a highly aggressive, highly destructive people."

"WHAT?!" roared Randor at the television.

"Here now is the video footage we received."

The screen changed. There was a few seconds of static, followed by a horizon image of Eternia. Randor looked closely at the screen. Home . . .

Ships suddenly came roaring across. Silently, these Horde-class ships were under fire. The ships exploded in space. But then the other ship – the attacking one – came under attack itself. Randor recognized it as the vessel that Adam had left on for Primus.

After a few more minutes of orbital battle, the video was static again. Marzo once more appeared on the screen.

"As you can see, they do not take kindly to strangers. We fear that they will do what they have done to those starships to our cities. Can you imagine weapons that can destroy entire ships striking at New York? Or Los Angeles? Or Washington DC? I can. And I do not like what I imagining. That is why I have assembled a fighting force and a ship that can attack these aliens before they have a chance to attack us. Some will most certainly think of this as provocation of war. But it most certainly is not! It is guaranteeing our safety and security! We will strike hard and fast, not giving them the chance to invade and destroy our way of life! As God as my witness, we will have peace for this world! Good night, my brothers and sisters, and God bless America!"

The screen went off.

"We're going to have to stop him. You know this, right?"

"Right," Marlena responded.

Randor stood up and pulled out his Honor Sword. "Vacation's over, sweetheart."


	5. Not Too Seriously

Chapter Four: "Not Too Seriously"

* * *

When Count Marzo was teleported to Earth by He-Man years ago, the first thing he did was do what he did best – climb to the top. On this world called Earth and in this place called America, that was the Presidency. It would not be difficult to control these information junkies that were Americans. It was also not his first time assuming a position he did not rightly deserved. His first encounter with He-Man had been when he had forced himself into the position of Duke.

It first started with finding a way to convince a small town that he was their mayor. This meant controlled hypnosis, which he managed to do with their radios and televisions. He built the small town into a city within months, making him an excellent candidate for governor. He leapt into that position and after pulling the state into first place as far as job rates, ecological care, and whatnot, he made his bid to President not a year later.

Much to the shock of just about everyone in the world, he swept into office.

Everything – his entire past – was nothing more than an elaborate lie, constructed with money and hypnosis. People took whatever information they wanted and he found a way to make it all work for him. After only seven years on the pitiful little world, he was the leader of the most powerful country it had to offer.

Then he learned of the wormhole. He had heard rumors that a wormhole linked the Eternian star system and the Earth star system – and Queen Marlena had traveled through it. When it was found, he made every effort to explore it. He already had a plan in motion to incriminate Eternia in the eyes of America, but the orbital battle with the Horde was just so perfect in its timing.

The plans were in motion already. The ship was built by the terrorist organization called Cobra. The Foot Clan – led by Shredder – had provided technology from the mysterious Dimension X. The Decepticon named Megatron had given the ship its power source.

The land in the Alaska had been purchased by Limburger Holdings from the Bluth Company, and since donated to the US (for a number of tax breaks); they would be launching from here. The money had been laundered through a number of companies, including Dunder-Mifflin Paper, Planet Express, as well as the Crab Shack of Camden County.

President Marzo was about to have his revenge on He-Man. Of all those that he had faced in his ceaseless life, He-Man had been the one to cause him the most trouble. While Earth's military was inferior in terms of weapons on Eternia, they had nuclear warheads that were stronger than anything on Eternia. On top of that, Marzo had found the ultimate defense against magic: Proton Packs.

Developed by the Ghostbusters of the New York City, these were very easily modified to rip through fields of intense magic. He had one for every soldier on the ship. The ship itself was to hold five hundred soldiers.

"Admiral Blaze!" yelped Marzo when his space advisor joined him that morning.

"Mr. President."

"Mark, I need to discuss the mission with you. Captain Simpson had to drop out and well, there's no one way to put it . . . how would you like to command the mission?"

Mark was more than a little stunned by this, but Marzo had him. He could tell already. It would take nothing more than a shake of the hand to hook him.

"Of course, sir. I'd be more than happy to."

"Good to hear, Mark. You're a soldier through and through."

* * *

Andrea Steele opened her door and stepped right. She expected, as she normally did, no trouble. But as soon as she flipped on her living room light, she saw that she was wrong. Five people sat in the dark waiting for her, revealed in the fresh-restored light. She gasped and screamed.

"Andrea!" shouted one of the three women.

"Marlena Glenn?" gasped Andrea. "King Randor? What are you doing here? Who are these people?"

"This is Kevin and Julie and my sister, Kristina. Andrea, I need your help."

"How did you get back here?" Andrea asked.

"We were forced off our world," Randor responded. "Why didn't you and Colonel Blaze tell anyone about Eternia?"

"It's Admiral Blaze," Andrea answered.

"Whatever," grunted Randor.

Andrea slumped her shoulders. "The reason . . . I guess the reason we never told anyone is simply because we thought everyone would think we were insane. Thought we'd be discharged. To have found a wormhole? That would be fantastic. To say that we visited a world where everyone looked just like us, but had both advanced technology and archaic (no offense) ways? We'd be booted out."

"You do know that Eternia doesn't pose a threat?" asked Kevin.

"Of course!" Andrea replied.

"We need to get to Mark Blaze," Marlena said.

"I haven't talk to Mark in years, Marlena."

"The President must be killed!" Randor roared then.

Andrea's mouth fell open. "He's . . . it's the President!"

"No, he's not," Julie added.

"He's an intergalactic shyster," Marlena explained. "He's been sleazing around the universe for thousands of years. Marzo – Count, as we know him – has operated on Eternia many times. My son exiled him to Earth."

"Why?"

"It may have been at random," Randor stated. "But that's not the case. Marzo is an enemy to Eternia."

"We need to contact Eternia," Marlena then said. "We need to find out what's going on. Whatever battle we saw on the TV, the last thing they need is a ship full of American soldiers adding to their troubles."

"I agree," Andrea replied. "What do you need me to do?"

"If we can send a signal to Eternia through the wormhole, then we'd have the start of something," Marlena returned.

"There's a radio dish set up at the Alaskan base that communicates with the wormhole satellites. I can get you up there, but we have to get passed security. And you'd need someone who is one heck of a hacker to get into the system."

"Leave that to us," Marlena said with a smile.

* * *

48 hours later.

One could say that Mark Blaze was against the mission.

But that would not quite be correct.

He was _very _much against the mission.

Mark was more than aware of the peaceful – if not bizarre – civilization of Eternia. He-Man, their greatest warrior, had even helped save the Earth itself. But orders were orders and Mark hoped against hope that he could find someway to stop the ship once it reached the wormhole, whether it was coming clean about knowing about Eternia or some sort of sabotage.

At that moment, a few MPs came his way.

"Admiral, we just spotted some unusual people down by the radio antenna," said the ranking officer.

"Let me see," Mark responded, hoping for anything.

The MPs led him into the security room, where Mark had the chance to look at who it was down by the antenna. There was a group of them – four of them younger-looking. One was Andrea Steele and the others were none other than King Randor and Queen Marlena.

"Oh. Oh!" Mark said to them. "Belay your orders, gentlemen. It's one of the new repair teams. They flew in with me this morning."

"Ah, of course, sir."

"I'll check on them and remind them of proper protocol. That is all, Commander," Mark said then.

Moments later, he was in the Alaskan cold, rushing over to the group. Randor began to draw what looked like a sword, but Andrea stopped him.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Warning my people," Randor grumbled.

"Mark, these people need our help."

"The whole mission is wrong, but they put me in charge. I can't stop it, but I can make sure it doesn't go how they want to."

"You're all set!" shouted Miguel, looking up from his laptop.

"One moment, please," Randor said and picked up his communicator, which was wired into the antenna. He activated it, making sure it was set to reach Eternos first. If not there, then Castle Grayskull.

"Attention Eternos! This is King Randor! Queen Marlena and I are still on the planet Earth! We are contacting you via the wormhole! You should be able to trace back this signal to its source," he said, looking to Marlena for confirmation. She nodded. "Count Marzo has taken over a country on the Earth and plans on using it to launch an attack on Eternia. You must reach us as soon as you can! Good luck and good journey!"

The comm-line closed. Randor turned to the others.

"The President is on his way here."

"Marzo!" roared Randor.

"What about him?"

"Uh, hey," Miguel then said. "I know I'm only seventeen, but I'm looking at some very classified files and I'm fairly certain what I'm seeing is illegal."

"Let me see," Kevin said, stepping over. "Whoa."

Mark joined him and looked it over. "Fake birth certificates? Re-used social security numbers? Why would Marzo need these?"

"Because he's an alien," Randor said. "And I plan on removing his head!"

"Let's not right now, dear," Marlena advised. "If he's on his way here, then I suggest we leave."

"Agreed," Mark replied. "I'll do everything in my power to halt the mission."

Just then, Mark's phone rang. As he led the others back inside, he picked it up . . . and stopped dead in his tracks. A few tense minutes of waiting later, he turned to the others.

"There's been a development."

He flipped on a monitor. A ship appeared, now sitting just outside the wormhole on their end. It was round in the middle with two large weapons on the sides. It was the same design of ship that Skeletor had used to attack He-Man.

The ship blasted away one of the satellites.

A few minutes later, Marzo was on the screen.

"My fellow Americans, I believe the presence of this vessel and its act of aggression on our satellites only furthers my belief that these people are dangerous. That is why the mission will go on ahead of schedule. I will be arriving in Alaska within the next few hours. As soon as I arrive, the ship will launch and our would-be invaders will understand to might of planet Earth!"


	6. Public Appearance

Chapter Five – "Public Appearance"

* * *

"Can't this bucket of bolts go any faster!?" shouted Man-At-Arms.

U-R looked to Gleep. "Why didn't we just go back to Primus with the rest of the convoy?"

Gleep ignored his companion and simply manned the controls. He-Man, She-Ra, Teela, Orko, and Man-At-Arms were all on board the Starship Eternia along with Gleep and U-R – all heading to the wormhole.

"I'm not seeing anything," She-Ra said then. "Are you sure it's up?"

"Wormholes are very, very fickle," U-R replied. "Heavy electromagnetic surges are needed to open them up."

"Can we do that?" asked He-Man.

"Of course." U-R pressed a few buttons before him.

There was a series of blue flashes and lightning-like energy before the Starship Eternia. Then, in a burst of golden light, there was an opening in space. He-Man had seen it once before, years ago. Back then, it had been the nuclear materials aboard Blaze's ship that opened the wormhole. Now, it was the Starship Eternia.

"Activating stabilizers," Gleep piped in. "Entering threshold."

The Starship Eternia thrusted forward. The ship shook harshly as it encountered wave after wave of time/space distortion. Then, quite violently, it shot out the other side of the wormhole. As soon as it did, the whole group looked out the front windows and saw, in the distance, the Earth.

"Wow," Teela breathed, putting her hand on He-Man's shoulder.

He-Man nodded, but didn't say anything. _That's where we came from_, he thought then, surprising himself. _That's where the Cosmic Enforcers started to manipulate us. That's where they took the first step, taking humanity from there and through the wormhole._

An alarm suddenly blared.

"What's going on?"

The ship suddenly rocked. He-Man turned to one of the monitors. The ship that had attacked him in orbit was sitting right outside the wormhole, flying in a field of debris. It came barreling out from its location and opened fire.

"No life-forms detected. It appeared to be automated," Gleep said as an aside.

"Shields!" He-Man ordered. "Bring weapons on-line and fire!"

The smaller ship and the Starship Eternia exchanged fire, but neither one had been affected much. Shields shimmered brightly in the darkness of space.

"I am detecting another vessel," U-R then reported as Gleep manned tactical. "It's of an unknown kind, but it looks as though it recently launched from Earth."

"It must be the invading ship," He-Man said then. "U-R, take us between the Earth vessel and our unknown attacker. Keep the fight away from them."

* * *

"He rigged the election," said Miguel. "All the proof is here." He looked to Andrea, then Marlena. "What should I do?"

Kevin smiled. "E-mail it to all the major news corporations and the FBI."

Randor grunted. The whole group was sitting in a Starbucks close to the base, all of them surrounding Miguel and his laptop. The news of the battle between the Starship Eternia and the unknown vessel had reached them by now. Pictures of the Starship Eternia sitting between the unknown vessel and the Earth ship (called the First Strike) were streaming all across the globe, causing some confusion.

This was the same ship that had been seen battling it out in orbit of the alien world. Now it almost looked like it was taking a defensive position to the unknown vessel and was looking as though it was trying to protect the First Strike.

"He'll get out of it," Randor said, finishing his Frappachino. "Marzo needs to be brought to Eternian justice. We are more immune to his trickery."

At that moment, one of the communicators started to beep. Randor's eyes widened and he looked to Marlena. Marlena snatched up and opened the comm-line.

"This is Marlena," she spoke into it.

There was brief pause. "Your majesty, it's good to hear your voice."

"Teela!"

Randor leaned forward. "It's good to hear yours as well, Teela. What is your current status?"

"We're contending with an attacking ship right now. It's putting up a good fight, but He-Man says we have it on the ropes."

"How long until you can be here?"

"Father?" Teela then said. There was a pause and some muted speaking. Randor looked to Marlena. She was talking to Duncan. Duncan was alive. "Two, maybe three hours if we can get the ship destroyed."

Randor stood up and looked to Miguel and Alicia. "Do you two still have your flying belts?"

* * *

There was an explosion as the shields of the mysterious vessel collapsed. Another shot and a second explosion overtook the ship. He-Man smirked and turned to Orko, She-Ra and Teela. They shared his smile.

"That problem is solved," he said, smiling.

Man-At-Arms only nodded a little. He didn't want to say anything, but it seemed as though the ship had exploded a little too easily – especially considering just how much of a punch it had delivered to the Starship Eternia months earlier. He kept his concerns to himself and turned to Gleep and U-R.

"Lay in a course for Earth," he said after He-Man's approval.

The First Strike kept its place at the edge of the wormhole while its defender sped quickly to the blue, green, and brown orb from which human life sprang.

* * *

"I'm not sure I'm understanding you, Admiral," Marzo questioned. "You're saying that the larger vessel defended you against the smaller one?"

"That's right, sir," Mark replied. "The larger ship was the one we had seen in the video a few months ago. Perhaps we were wrong about that alien world after all. Maybe it was just defending itself. Maybe that small vessel was an enemy and that's why they came after it."

"Theories, Admiral. Nothing more. You will proceed to -- "

Just then, the door was thrown open. Two aides came rushing. "Mr. President! The FBI is on its way! It's all over the news! They're saying you rigged the election!"

Marzo about fell down. He turned to the open line with the First Strike. "Stand by, Admiral." He then turned to his aides. "I'm going to get some air. Let me know when the FBI gets here."

"But sir - "

"THOSE ARE MY ORDERS!"

President Marzo stepped outside. Two Secret Service men flanked him, but their eyes were staring along the ground for any danger or threats. With their backs turned to him, President Marzo pulled out a crimson amulet. He had used it so many times during his stay here on the Earth. Now was one of those times.

Quite suddenly, Marzo became aware of hand wrapping around his mouth and an arm wrapping his waist. A body held onto him from behind. Just as the Secret Service turned around, he was flying off the ground.

"Hello, Mr. President."

"King Randor," Marzo snarled, Randor's hand moving off his mouth.

"The one and only. All your plans for destroying my homeworld are going to fall apart. Your Presidency is going to be destroyed."

"Will it?"

The two were at least twenty feet off the ground and moving over a wooded area behind the radio tower. Marzo gripped the amulet. There was a burst of crimson energy. Both Marzo and Randor went spinning to the ground, Marzo now free of Randor's grip. Randor's flying belt allowed him a safe landing; Marzo's amulet did the same.

"You are going to be brought to justice," King Randor said, pulling out his Honor Sword.

"Am I? I've manipulated the system before, Randor. I can do so again."

"Eternian justice!" Randor roared, the Honor Sword at the ready.

The sounds of the Secret Service were all around them. Randor didn't care. Neither did Marzo, for that matter.

Marzo unleashed a bolt from the amulet. The amulet was quite ancient, reportedly among the first ever magical objections created in the known universe. He had, of course, stolen it from the same temple from which he had received eternal life from – perhaps it would be what could end Marzo's unnatural life span. However, as powerful as the amulet was, the blade of the Honor Sword was magic-proof and nigh unbreakable.

Randor had two options. He could either dodge the bolt . . . or he could do what he had learned from watching baseball. He went for the second option and swung his Honor Sword hard and struck the bolt.

The bolt went flying back at Marzo. Marzo's body went flying back, bathed in red energy. As soon as the red energy subsided, Marzo seemed to simply vanish. Even the amulet went missing. Randor walked over to where Marzo had been . . . and found nothing.

Had he been vaporized?

Randor's communicator started beeping.

"PUT YOUR WEAPON DOWN!" shouted a Secret Service agent.

"WHERE IS PRESIDENT MARZO?"

Randor grinned a little and vanished in the shimmering light of a teleportation beam.

* * *

He-Man and She-Ra waited anxiously as the teleporter completed its cycle. Randor materialized before them, his face red, Honor Sword in his hands. He looked at them with immediate recognition.

"My children!"

He knew?

Before He-Man and She-Ra could do anything, their father swept them up into a hug. He-Man and She-Ra returned it.

"You know?" asked She-Ra.

"Your mother told me," Randor said, looking to He-Man. "How in the world I didn't figure it out earlier is beyond me."

He-Man laughed and hugged his father once more.

"I've missed you two so much," he told them and wondered vaguely if this how was Miro felt after he had been rescued from the Enchantress a few years earlier.

"Randor."

The king turned to the door and saw the rather thin and now cane-using Man-At-Arms.

"Duncan. Helluva a vacation spot you sent us to."

"Yeah, well, mine wasn't any better."

The two old friends embraced each other. Teela appeared at the door then and hugged the King as well. This was then followed by a KISS from Orko.

"I even missed you, Orko," Randor said. "I have a lot to hear about, I'm certain. But we need to take care of business."

"What's going on with Marzo?"

"We'll get to that. Can we get your mother and our friends up here?"

"Sure. Gleep?"

"What have you got planned, your majesty?" asked Teela.

* * *

"This is Mike Nelson of SOL Cable News. The mood is tense tonight. The White House is reporting that President Marzo is missing. Rumors are circulating that he has gone underground in the light of new allegations regarding the validity of his election. On top of all this, new activity at the wormhole in regards to two vessels has prompted a worldwide military alert. One of those vessels now sits in orbit above Alaska, with the First Strike nearby. There are reports that the vessel now in orbit is . . . wait. One moment, please. We are . . . we are receiving a transmission from the alien vessel! It's . . . this is a historic event ladies and gentlemen! Live!"

The image on the screen distorted. Suddenly, a very tan man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood in the middle of what appeared to be a spaceship. All he wore were (what would be called years later) 'fuzzy underwear' and harness. By his side were two women – one with beautiful red hair and the other a blonde with a short white skirt.

"Greetings Earthlings! I am He-Man of the planet Eternia! I come to you in peace!"

Suddenly, a scaffolding of lights came crashing down behind He-Man. The girls squealed and pressed themselves against He-Man.

A man in jeans and a Union t-shirt came rushing behind He-Man to move the lights out of the way.

"You're in the shot, Gary!" came a voice from behind the camera.

"Shit! Sorry!"

"We come in peace . . . but . . . uh . . ." He-Man began, but suddenly acted unsure. "Oh! We come in both peace and love for humanity! Live long and prosper! He-Man out!"

He-Man paused.

"We out? Thank God," He-Man said. "Nice professionalism, guys."

The screen then went back to a stunned-looking Mike Nelson.

"That . . . can't be . . . real." He then turned to the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe, in this reporters opinion, that we are the victims of an elaborate hoax. In fact . . . one moment . . . yes, the ship in orbit has just vanished. Can we – can we get an idea as to what just happened here?"


	7. Back To Home

Chapter Six – "Back to Home"

* * *

President Marzo awoke on board a ship. It took him a few moments to recognize what ship it was, but after a moment, he understood what was happening. The Starship Eternia had not destroyed the attacking vessel. Indeed, the vessel used holographic projectors to make it appear so. Almost immediately, after boarding, the ship – now cloaked - blasted through the wormhole.

Shortly, he was in orbit of Eternia. As he started to make the remote controlled ship began to make its descend into the Sands of Time, he watched as a sandstorm roared to life around the Great Towers of Eternia. It was cover, of course, provided by Skeletor to allow the ship's entry into Viper Tower to remain a secret.

An upper portion of wall on Viper Tower opened up, allowing Marzo and the ship entry. The ship landed in a large, round chamber. The door opened up and Marzo stepped out.

"Hello? Skeletor?"

A man suddenly stepped out from a door. He looked almost exactly like He-Man, save for blue skin and orange hair. Marzo recognized him as Faker, though the two had never really met.

"This way."

Marzo followed Faker through the door and into a lower chamber. Here sat Skeletor and Shadow Weaver. Outside, the sandstorm was dying out.

"My thanks in having your ship teleport me out, Skeletor."

Skeletor nodded a little. "We had a deal, Marzo."

"Even though you messed it up by making it appear as though your ship exploded?" Marzo questioned.

"It is my only means to the Tri-Solar System. My business there is incomplete. Besides, you were going to destroy Eternos. Something that I have longed for since . . . well, a good while. I provided you with something to frighten those apes you were leading. Just because your plans fell through doesn't end our alliance."

Marzo cleared his throat. "What is it you want, Skeletor?"

Skeletor did his best impression of a smile. "That will come in time. Until then, I need you to remain here."

Marzo nodded a little. "What if I refuse?"

Skeletor lifted up the Sword of Darkness. A bolt of lightning fired out from it and struck his amulet. The amulet exploded.

"Trust me, Marzo."

* * *

Cloaked, the Starship Eternia remained in orbit. Randor and Marlena remained as long as they needed to on Earth to make sure everything went smoothly. The public was now convinced that the now missing President was not really the President at all, but a very, very good con man. The evidence provided was thoroughly investigated. Two months after the Starship Eternia broke orbit and headed back to Eternia, the Presidency was tossed out and a new election was held.

As for the entire incident involving Eternia and the wormhole, Andrea Steele and Mark Blaze told both investigators and reporters that they had seen evidence that President Marzo worked with the terrorist groups the Foot Clan and Cobra in creating the elaborate holograms.

Two days after their arrival, Adam and Adora stood with their parents as they said their good byes. They had just eaten at iHop for the first time and Randor had insisted on having a Starbucks Frappachino for the ride home.

Good byes were said, many of them tearful. At last, though, the Starship Eternia broke orbit and started back to the wormhole.

"It should be noted," U-R reported as they entered the threshold, "that due to massive amounts of radiation dumped here, the wormhole is now in a state of decay. Projections indicate that the wormhole will completely destabilize in approximately 32.7 Eternian years."

"I suppose that's my fault," Marlena frowned.

"Looks like return trips are going to be rough after a certain point," Adora said.

"I guess so, but now that we have the precise coordinates, the Cosmic Key will be able to open portals to Earth again," Duncan replied. "Meaning, Queen Marlena, that whenever you wish to see your sister again . . . you can."

Marlena smiled. Randor smiled and finished his Frappachino.

They reached the terminus of the wormhole. Randor stood up and was joined with Marlena immediately. He wrapped his arms around her and they watched as their world grew larger in their view. They were going home . . .

As the Starship Eternia came in for a landing, a large crowd gathered, ready to see their king and queen. Soldiers were lined in perfect fashion, as were the Heroic Warriors and the Great Rebellion. Randor looked down upon Eternos and remembered in just kind of shape it had been left in. To see it completely restored like this . . . it warmed his heart.

He looked to his children and felt a great swell of pride in them.

The Starship Eternia landed. A few minutes later, the gangway opened up and King Randor, Queen Marlena, King Adam, and Queen Adora all walked out. There was a thunderous hoop and holler as the crowd saw them.

"Your majesties," bowed Mekaneck.

"Good to see you again, my old friends," Stratos greeted.

"Welcome home," Buzz-Off said.

"Thank you, thank you."

"King Randor, Queen Marlena, on behalf of the suspended world of Etheria, we welcome you back to your homeworld," Glimmer offered.

"My thanks, Glimmer," Randor returned.

At the main door of Palace, Randor, Marlena, Adam and Adora all looked to the crowd. Randor took a deep breath, then lifted up his Honor Sword.

The crowd went wild.

A few moments later, Randor walked into his office. He had already asked for a current status report, despite getting the entire scoop for Adam, Adora, Teela, Orko, and Man-At-Arms. He checked himself out in the mirror. His beard was growing back nicely. Thank the Ancients.

He stood behind his desk for a moment and was surprised to find a photograph of Teela on it. Then he suddenly remembered that Adam had been using this desk since he was gone. Adam had rebuilt the kingdom. And Adam . . . Adam had saved this world and so many others time and time again as He-Man.

Randor looked to his crown. He polished it up, making it shine.

There was a knock at the door. He looked up and saw Marlena standing there.

"Hello my dear," Randor greeted her.

"Hello. I just wanted to tell you, Stephan, Johanna, and their kids are on their way."

Randor nodded. "When they get here, I'll be addressing the world. Or, what is left of it, anyways."

Marlena sighed and walked in, eyes scanning the room. "I see Adam took up your place in this office."

"Yes," Randor said, looking around. "Adora in yours?"

"Yes."

They both paused and looked deeply at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Marlena.

"Yes, I believe so."

Randor and Marlena walked out of the office and into the throne room. The light of the sun in the afternoon sky caught the thrones, casting them in a pale golden glory. Together, they took their place upon the seats.

"It feels good," Randor said, hands finding their place on the armrests. He looked to Marlena, who looked out at the empty throne room.

"Yes," she replied. "Yes, it does."

Randor took in a deep breath and looked to his loving wife and she to him. They knew then for sure what they had to do . . .

* * *

Some hours later, the entire royal family was gathered in a small lobby right that led into the balcony. Randor and Marlena were chatting it up with Stephan and Johanna while the cousins made small talk. Outside, the sun was starting to set low in the sky.

"Three minutes until communication," Duncan reported.

Randor nodded and pulled his son aside. "Adam, listen," Randor began. "I didn't have the time to properly tell you this yet and while now isn't exactly the best time . . . I just need you to know that I am so very proud of you. I need you to know that I am so very sorry that I berated you and scolded you for scoffing your duties."

"Father, I understand. I'm sorry I never told you about me and He-Man being the same - "

"I understand, Adam. I've long since made peace with that. I forgive for ever lying to me. I just need you to know that I have never, ever been more proud of you. Not just for all that time you were He-Man, but also for rebuilding the kingdom. You have done such an amazing job, my son. I love you."

"I love you too, father."

Nearby, at the same time, Marlena pulled her daughter aside. "Adora, I want you to know that I am so very happy to know you're alive and well. Your father and I are quite proud of the job both you and Adam did with restoring the kingdom. Truly."

"Thank you, Mother. But . . . wait . . . what is going on?"

Marlena said nothing then and merely kissed her daughter on cheek.

"We're ready," Man-At-Arms said then.

The entire royal family walked onto the balcony – Randor, Marlena, Adam, Adora, Stephan, Dell, Johanna, Edwina, and Jeremy. Randor, Marlena, Adam and Adora took front and center, the twins flanking their parents.

"MY PEOPLE!" Randor greeted. "My people! My body is weary . . . BUT MY HEART IS STRONG! To return home is to be like been given the greatest gift of all! My life has been restored completely to me! Thank you! Marlena and I could not be happier! And what a time . . . WHAT A TIME IT IS TO BE HOME AGAIN! The war is over! Peace runs throughout Eternia I owe it all to our children - Adam and Adora! And to you, citizens of Eternos and Eternia!"

"As He-Man and She-Ra, our children have defended this world and others against the evils of the Horde, the Snake-Men, Skeletor, and so many others," Marlena said then. "As Adam and Adora, they restored this world, making it as it should be. Randor and I have been speaking and now that we have returned to this world that we have missed so much . . . we have decided to stand down from our place as leaders of Eternos."

"We proclaim now that Adam and Adora remain King and Queen of Eternos," Randor said. "Marlena and I will remain as close advisors, but our days as leaders here are spent. Thus, we shall enter into retirement."

Adam and Adora looked at each other, blue eyes wide. Randor and Marlena turned to them.

"Mother, Father, are you sure about this?" asked Adam.

"More than sure, my son," Randor said.

"You have made us so very proud," Marlena followed up. "Both of you."

Man-At-Arms walked over.

The royal family backed up, looking quite fondly of Adam and Adora. Man-At-Arms said a few things to Adam and Adora, telling them what to formally say.

Adam and Adora bowed to Man-At-Arms, who was flanked by King Randor and Queen Marlena. Man-At-Arms picked up the Honor Sword and touched both of Adora's shoulders with the blade.

"Princess Adora," Duncan addressed. "Do you solemnly swear upon your father, mother and your bloodline that you will uphold justice, strength, honor, power, prosperity, peace, and wisdom of the kingdoms of Eternos?"

Adora nodded. "Yes. I swear upon my father, my mother and my entire bloodline that I shall be the Queen of Eternos and uphold the things that make up this kingdom."

"Then let it be done," Duncan said then. He lifted up the crown from Adora's head and handed it to courtier. He then turned to Queen Marlena and lifted up her golden crown and laid it upon Adora's head.

"All hail Queen Adora, mistress and leader of Eternos!" Duncan proclaimed

"ALL HAIL QUEEN ADORA! HAIL HAIL HAIL! ALL HAIL QUEEN ADORA, MISTRESS AND LEADER OF ETERNOS!" the crowd roared.

Duncan then turned to Adam. Once more, he laid the Honor Sword upon Adam's shoulders. Adam felt a certain destiny pushing him forward. All these years of being told what to do and to be prepared to be king . . . despite the past few months of being the stand-in, to have it now become permanent was . . . incredible.

"Prince Adam," Duncan addressed. "Do you solemnly swear upon your father, mother and your bloodline that you will uphold justice, strength, honor, power, prosperity, peace, and wisdom of the kingdoms of Eternos?"

Adam nodded. "Yes. I swear upon my father, my mother and my entire bloodline that I shall be the King of Eternos and uphold the things that make up this kingdom."

"Then let it be done," Duncan told him and lifted up the silver crown. He felt a great swell of pride within him for his protégé. He knew that Teela was feeling just about the same from behind him. Duncan lifted up the crown from Randor, his oldest and dearest of friends, and placed it upon Adam's head.

"All hail King Adam, master and leader of Eternos!" Duncan proclaimed

"ALL HAIL KING ADAM! HAIL HAIL HAIL! ALL HAIL KING ADAM, MASETR AND LEADER OF ETERNOS!" the crowd roared.

"Rise up!" Randor and Marlena shouted.

Adam and Adora stood up. Below, all those present bowed to the King and Queen. Behind them, the royal family half-bowed.

It was among the happiest moments in the both their lives.

TO BE CONTINUED IN "ACROSS ALL WORLDS – BOOK TWO: ETHERIA!"


End file.
